Superintendents and legislators: actors in the educational policy process on the Kansas stage

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Abstract

In a democratic society, advocating for policy changes is commonplace. School
superintendents are expected to be the voice of influence for the students and districts they serve.
In Kansas, this expectation is no different. In recent years, school funding has been a major topic
of policy debate at the state level.
The purpose of this study was to understand if the advocacy efforts of superintendents
had any effect during a recent policy creation. The study sought to also understand the
influences state legislators consider in Kansas in determining the decisions they make when
voting.
Participants of this study included seven school superintendents and eight legislators, all
active in their roles during the 2015 Legislative session. In all, fifteen individual interviews were
conducted, the representation of the legislators and superintendents cover a wide-range of
geographical, demographic, and political affiliation.
The findings and conclusions were analyzed using the theoretical framework from
Murray Edelman, using the art of conducting a drama as a metaphor for policy development and
action, and provide implications for advancing the understanding of the theory and practice of
advocating efforts with legislators.
Implications of the study included the expansion of the theory itself and the need for
future research. There is a real need to further develop considerations of relationships between
school superintendents, school board members, and legislators. Implications for future practice
could strengthen participation and partnerships among these groups to increase efficiencies in
advocating in Kansas.

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Thesis (Ed.D.)-- Wichita State University, College of Education, Dept. of Counseling, Educational Leadership, Education and School Psychology